


Through grief, reborn

by fallenidol_453



Category: The Dragon Prophecy - Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Genre: Gen, Living is the best revenge, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 02:23:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15500229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenidol_453/pseuds/fallenidol_453
Summary: Maeredhiel sheds the last vestiges of her life as a daughter of Caerthalien.





	Through grief, reborn

**Author's Note:**

> A heavily edited piece of work originally posted on my Tumblr.
> 
> I do not own the Dragon Prophecy trilogy. All rights belong to Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. Any mistakes to canon in here is entirely my fault.

Maeredhiel sheds the last vestiges of her life as a daughter of Caerthalien.

A ring. Her veil. One of the layers of her heavy silk dress. With each layer she strips off, she feels one step closer to ripping away the invisible yoke her House has placed upon her by birth.

No more being immersed in the political machinations of the Hundred Houses. No more being a pawn for the War Prince, however exalted her station may have been. No more—

She could still see Aradrothiach’s blood in the Challenge Circle, Haramarthien standing triumphant over his body.

Her body sways unbidden, and she clutches the bedframe in desperation as she cries harsh, strangled sobs.

Her brother had been counting on her unacknowledged Soulbond when he slew the man who would have been her Bondmate. Palierlaniel War Prince did not want a Caerthalien daughter marrying one of their traditional enemies, Soulbonded or not.

Maeredhiel finally allowed herself to sink to the floor and did not try to stay her tears. It would have been only the work of a moment to complete her bond with Aradrothiach, and she would have been dead within hours of his death, and they would have been together in the Vale of Celenthodiel…

The cold stone floor seeped into her naked body, a reminder of what she had come to the Sanctuary of the Star for. Had she stayed in Caerthalien, she surely would have been betrothed to one of her House’s allies without a single thought to spare for her broken Soulbond.

But here, she has claimed the one thing Caerthalien would never grant: sanctuary.

With a final, heaving sniffle, Maeredhiel gets to her feet slowly. She folds her old clothing neatly and places her jewels in a box provided for her. She doesn’t care where they go – storage, the rubbish heap, the bonfire – but she wants no part of them.

She dons the grey tunic and trews of Sanctuary servants and braids her hair into a single plait. The plain cloth is a far cry from the lavish silks and jewels she grew up with, but she feels herself settle into her new identity in moments: A Sanctuary of the Star servant, placed higher than princes and lords.

Caerthalien cannot touch her now. She will make them quake in their beds by continuing to live.

Maeredhiel opens the door of her new sleeping cell and steps into a new life.


End file.
